Greek Forward Kostas Papanikolaou Gets Drafted By New York Knicks

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Last night’s NBA draft was filled with cheers and jeers after the country’s most eligible crop of newcomers were picked up by various teams in the league.

Some highlights included Queens’ favorite from Maurice “Moe” Harkless of St. John’s University, who was the 15th overall draft pick, shifted to the Philadelphia 76ers. North Carolina point guard Kendall Marshall is migrating to Phoenix as the Suns’ newest addition and the draft’s 13th pick while Kentucky power forward and #1 draft pick Anthony Davis heads to the New Orleans Hornets

One of the big upsets of the night was the New York Knicks picking up Greek forward Kostas Papanikolaou from Olympiakos. Twitter fans from the Big Apple were so taken with the decision that Papanikolaou became a trending topic.

According to Newsday, Knicks general manager Glen Grunwald said he took the Greek baller because of his potential and circumstances. With no buyout till 2013, signing Papanikolau means that he won’t be on Garden paint for at least one more year, giving the team wiggle room for free agents.

“Free agency is important to us this year,” Grunwald said. “We’ll hopefully make some strides in that area. With the 48th pick, if you look at the history of the success rate, it’s not that great. We’re happy with the pick we made and think ultimately he can contribute.”

On the up-side, breakout stars Jeremy Lin and Steve Novak will most likely sport the orange and blue this season.